Automatic portable cable tie tool

ABSTRACT

A portable tool configured for tightening bands, such as cable ties, around an elongate object, such as a bundle of cables or the like. The tool includes a command interface that allows a the user of the tool to choose a predetermined final circumferential dimension of the loop formed by the band around the bundle of cables. An electronic unit commands a tensioning device and a severing device depending on the predetermined circumferential dimension chosen by means of the command interface. The invention also relates to a method for commanding the tool.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of Patent Application No. 1759433 filed in the Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle (French Patent Office) on Oct. 9, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a portable tool for automatically tightening a band, such as a cable tie around an elongate object, such as a cable bundle and a method for commanding such a tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an apparatus configured to automatically tighten a band around an elongate object in accordance with the teachings of the invention; and

FIGS. 2 to 6 are side views which show five bands with decreasing circumferential dimensions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the various described embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

The present invention therefore proposes providing an improvement with respect to the existing apparatuses. To this end, it proposes a manual self-acting apparatus for fitting tightening bands around a bundle of cables or the like, the apparatus comprising:

-   -   an integrated fitting mechanism forming the band in a loop         closed around the bundle of cables,     -   a tensioning device tightening the band around the bundle of         cables,     -   a severing device for the unused part of the band after the         tightening thereof around the bundle of cables, and     -   an electronic unit which commands the fitting mechanism, the         tensioning device, and the severing device.

The apparatus includes a command interface allowing the user of the apparatus to choose a predetermined circumferential dimension of the loop formed by the band around the cable bundle. The electronic unit commands the tensioning device and the severing device depending on the predetermined circumferential dimension chosen by means of the command interface.

According to another advantageous feature, the tensioning device includes a toothed wheel which is provided to drive the strap of the band in the tightening direction. The toothed wheel is equipped with a rotary encoder. The electronic unit determines that the predetermined circumferential dimension is reached depending on the signal delivered to the electronic unit from the rotary encoder.

The invention also proposes a method of commanding a manual self-acting apparatus for fitting tightening bands around a bundle of cables or the like, comprising the steps of:

-   -   a) allowing the user of the apparatus to choose a predetermined         circumferential dimension of the loop formed by the band around         the bundle of cables;     -   b) positioning the band in a closed loop around the bundle of         cables by means of an integrated fitting mechanism;     -   c) tightening the band around the bundle of cables by means of a         tensioning device; and     -   d) severing the unused part of the band by means of a severing         device after the tightening thereof around the bundle of cables.         The severing device is commanded depending on the         circumferential dimension chosen in the step a).

According to an advantageous feature of the invention, during the step a) the chosen circumferential dimension is associated with a determined number of rotations of a rotary driving element of the tensioning device and the severing step c) is implemented when the rotary driving element has reached the determined number of rotations.

According to another advantageous feature, the selecting step a) includes the selection of a circumferential dimension from at least five predetermined circumferential dimensions.

A non-limiting example of an attachment device 1 is described herein with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6.

FIG. 1 shows a portable tool for tightening a band, such as a cable tie around an elongate object, such as a cable bundle, hereinafter referred to as the tool 10 for fitting a band 12 around an elongate object, such as a bundle of cables 14. Of course, it can be used to attach the band 12 around other types of bundles or around other objects such as one or more tubes, or strands having dimensions compatible with the span of the tool 10.

The band 12 is typically formed from a strap 16, or a strip, made from flexible plastic supplied, at a free end, with a nonreturn catch housing 18, typically known as a cable tie. The strap 16 is supplied on at least one face with saw tooth-shaped protuberances provided to cooperate with the catch of the catch housing 18.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the tool 10 includes a casing 20 supplied with a handle 22 in the form of a pistol grip with a switch or trigger 24 for starting a band fitting operation. The casing 20 preferably includes a removable magazine 26 provided to contain a reserve of bands 12 before they are fitted and a receptacle 28 provided to receive the severed ends of the bands 12 after they have been fitted on a bundle of cables 14.

To allow the bands 12 to be fitted, the tool 10 is provided with an integrated positioning device or fitting mechanism 30. In the illustrated example, the fitting mechanism 30 includes a feeding device 32 provided for driving the bands 12 from the removable magazine 26 toward two pivoting jaws 34, 36 which are used to form a loop of the band 12 around the bundle of cables 14. The fitting mechanism 30 also includes a tensioning device 38 which drives the free end of the band 12 at the outlet of the catch housing 18 in the tightening direction around the bundle of cables 14.

The tool 10 includes an electronic control unit 40 which commands the fitting mechanism 30 in a suitable manner depending on the signal given by the trigger 24 and depending on the settings input by an operator thanks to a command interface 42. The command interface 42 includes, for example, a display screen 44 and command buttons 46.

The tool 10 also includes an electrical supply system (not shown).

The tensioning device 38 is, in this case, equipped with a rotary driving element in the form of a toothed wheel 48 which is provided to mesh with the toothed part of the band 12 such as to drive it in the tightening direction.

Advantageously, the toothed wheel 48 is equipped with a rotary encoder 50 which makes it possible to indirectly count the number of teeth which have meshed with the toothed wheel 48. It is thus possible to very precisely determine the circumference remaining around the bundle of cables 14 by determining the number of teeth of the band 12 free part pulled out at the outlet of the catch housing 18.

The rotary encoder 50 is connected to the control unit 40 which allows the control unit 40 to precisely command the rotation of the toothed wheel 48 depending on the signal from the rotary encoder 50.

Advantageously, the tool 10 includes a severing device 52 for severing the strap of the band 12 right at the outlet of the catch housing 18, after the loop with an appropriate circumference has been formed around the bundle of cables 14. The severing device 52 therefore makes it possible to remove the unused part of the band 12.

The tool 10 according to the invention allows an operator to select a predetermined circumferential dimension Dn of the loop formed by the band 12 by means of the command interface 42. The tool 10 can be programmed to allow, for example, five predetermined circumferential dimensions Dn which are shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, respectively. Depending on the circumferential dimension Dn chosen by the operator, the control unit 40 commands the rotation of the toothed wheel 48 and the severing device 52 up to a determined number of teeth that is detected by the rotary encoder 50.

The severing device 52 can thus be commanded depending on the signal delivered by the rotary encoder 50 and sever the free end of the band 12 precisely when the formed loop has reached the circumferential dimension Dn chosen by the operator.

By way of example, FIGS. 2 to 6 schematically show five predefined circumferential dimensions Dn of a band 12 that are obtained by means of the tool 10 according to the invention.

The tool 10 thus makes it possible to obtain bands 12 having a predetermined circumference, thereby applying a predefined and stable tightening force on the bundles of cables 14.

A method for commanding an tool 10 as described above will now be described. The method particularly provides the following steps, implemented in this order:

-   -   a) selecting the predefined circumferential dimension Dn by         means of the command interface 42 allowing the user of the         apparatus to choose a predetermined circumferential dimension of         the loop formed by the band 12 after tightening around the         bundle of cables 14,     -   b) positioning the band 12 in a loop closed around the bundle of         cables 14 by means of the fitting mechanism 30,     -   c) tightening the band 12 around the bundle of cables 14 by         means of a tensioning device 38,     -   d) severing the unused part of the band 12 by means of a         severing device 52 after the tightening thereof around the         bundle of cables 14 depending on the circumferential dimension         Dn chosen in the step a).

Preferably, during the step a), the chosen circumferential dimension Dn is associated with a determined number of rotations of the toothed wheel 48. Thus, during the step c), the unused part of the band 12 is severed when the toothed wheel 48 has reached the determined number of rotations corresponding to the chosen circumferential dimension Dn. The determined number of rotations is detected by the control unit 40 by means of the rotary encoder 50.

While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to configure a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments, and are by no means limiting and are merely prototypical embodiments.

Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the following claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

As used herein, ‘one or more’ includes a function being performed by one element, a function being performed by more than one element, e.g., in a distributed fashion, several functions being performed by one element, several functions being performed by several elements, or any combination of the above.

It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. are, in some instances, used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.

The terminology used in the description of the various described embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various described embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As used herein, the term “if” is, optionally, construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in response to determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a stated condition or event] is detected” is, optionally, construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response to determining” or “upon detecting [the stated condition or event]” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event],” depending on the context.

Additionally, while terms of ordinance or orientation may be used herein these elements should not be limited by these terms. All terms of ordinance or orientation, unless stated otherwise, are used for purposes distinguishing one element from another, and do not denote any particular order, order of operations, direction or orientation unless stated otherwise. 

We claim:
 1. An apparatus configured for fitting a band around an elongate object, said apparatus comprising: an integrated fitting mechanism configured to form the band into a loop closed around the elongate object; a tensioning device configured to tighten the band around the elongate object; a severing device configured to sever a portion of the band after the band is tightened around the elongate object; an electronic control unit in communication with the integrated fitting mechanism, the tensioning device, and the severing device; and a command interface configured to allow a user of the apparatus to choose a predetermined circumferential dimension of the loop formed by the band around the elongate object, wherein the electronic control unit commands the tensioning device and the severing device depending on the predetermined circumferential dimension chosen through the command interface.
 2. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein the tensioning device includes a toothed wheel which is provided to drive a strap of the band in a tightening direction, said toothed wheel equipped with a rotary encoder and wherein the electronic control unit determines that the predetermined circumferential dimension is reached depending on a signal delivered by the rotary encoder.
 3. A method of controlling an apparatus configured for fitting a band around an elongate object, said method comprising the steps of: a) choosing a predetermined circumferential dimension of a loop formed by the band around the elongate object via a command interface of the apparatus; b) positioning the band in a closed loop around the elongate object by means of an integrated fitting mechanism, c) tightening the band around the elongate object by means of a tensioning device, d) severing a portion from the band by means of a severing device after the tightening thereof around the elongate object, wherein the severing device is commanded depending on a circumferential dimension chosen in step a).
 4. The method according to the claim 3, wherein during the step a), a chosen circumferential dimension is associated with a determined number of rotations of a rotary driving element of the tensioning device and in that step d) is implemented when the rotary driving element has reached the determined number of rotations.
 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein step a) includes a selection of the circumferential dimension from at least five predetermined circumferential dimensions.
 6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the steps a) through d) are performed in the order listed. 